Aeroplane



Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2. I

. I Q 0 I 7/ h m /g Q INVENTOR. BY fiarlolle fir/zesew ATTORNEY.

C. AHNESEN.

AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, I919.

. A! A. mb x 1 .x MP v ll l WITNESS:

C. ARNESEN.

AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED June 26,1919.

Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- INVENTOR. B-Y GkazrZoZte 6972 602 9 ATTORNEY.

WITNESS: fine C. ARNESEN.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. 1919.

1,391,443. Patented Sept. '20, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

qm-nu-uFm-amqn-uq u ATTORNEY.

C. ARNESEN.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, I919. 1,391,443. I PatentedSept. 20, 1921.

5 suzns-suzn 5.

1 INVENTOR. fi I YUfiar-Zotfeflrneaem A T TORNE Y.

UNITE STATES 'GHAItLOTTE ARN'ESEN, 0F PORTLAND, OREGOI\T,.ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH TO CARL QBERG AND INGEBORG A. OBERG, BOTH 0F PORTLAND, OREGON;

PATET caries.

AEROPLANE.

T0 all-whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLOTTE Aniinsnn,

a citizen of' Norway, residing at Portland,

in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvements' in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes, and the principal object of the invention is to provide mechanical means for' steering the plane both vertically and horizontally so that the plane may be sent to any desired point without the aid of human control.

' Another object of the invention is to provide mechanicallycontrolled means for dropping bombs at any desired point in the flight of the aeroplane.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for setting both the steering means and. the bomb-dropping means, before the aeroplane leaves the ground, so that the machine may be caused to fly to the desired point without an occupant,and the bombs dropped where desired.

The invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims. I i

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 .is a diagrammatic plan view of the improved controlling means constituting the invention;

Fig.

2-is a section on llne 22 of Fig. 1; 3'is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1; 4 is a' section on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a face view showing. the setting means: on one: of the wheels;

Fig. 7 is an edge View partly in section of said wh eel; r

Fig. 8 is a partial plan view of one of the drive chains and its wheel;

Fig. 9 is a view of'a modified form of driving means;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the bomb container; 1

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 20, 1921 Application filed June 26, 1919; Serial No. 306,881

Fig. 11. is a perspective view of one of the devices for initially moving the chain; Fig. 12 is a similar view of the other device.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 indicates the rudder for controlling the horizontal flight of the plane and 2 indicates the elevators for controlling the altitude of theplane. I provide means for mechanically moving these parts and such means are driven from the engine 3 which may be the main engine of the plane or an auxiliary engine. The shaft of'this engine is connected with a shaft 4 by the pinions 5. The shaft 4 drives a shafts 6 through the train of gearing pair of shafts 6' by meansof the shaft 8 and the chains and wheels 9 and. 9'. As will be seen, the gears on the shafts 6 intermesh as do also OSe on the shafts 6 so that the shafts I Z air of and a? of each .pair rotate in opposite directions.

Each of the shafts 6 carries a chain wheel 10 and eachof' the shafts 6 carries a like wheel 10. Each of these wheels engages with one row 30f links of a double chain 11, said chain passing over guiding Wheels 12 and 13, the wheels 13 for one' pair of chainsbeing mounted on a shaft 14 which is geared to the elevators 2 while the wheels 13 for the other pair of chains are mounted i i 1. The wheels 12 and 12 are carried by stub shafts 16 and 16'. Y

It will thus be seen that the chains of each set will have movement in opposite di rections.

I provide means for permitting the chain wheel will simply revolve in the space without moving the chain. Thusthe chain will be driven a certain distance and will then come to rest. i

The means for moving the chains into engagement with the wheels again consists of a dog 19 carried by a ring 20 which is arranged adjacent to each of the guiding 'on a shaft 15 which is geared to the rudder -wheels to run idle without driving the.

wheels on the shaftsj14 and 15. These dogs engage with annular racks 21 carried by said shafts 14 and or by the wheels' Each ring has connected thereto an arm 22 which carries a pin 23 engaging in an inclined slot 24 formed in a plunger rod 25.

The plunger rods for the outer chains are made longer than those for the inner chains and the slots in the two sets of rods are differently arranged as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. These rods are supported in guides 26 and are provided with springs for holding them in their inner positions. The plunger rods are each provided with upwardly extending lugs 27 for engaging lugs 28 on the sides of the chains so as to stop the movement of said chains with the spaces in and the end. i

the chains over the chain wheels. As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the lugs for the short plunger rods are located at the extreme end thereof while'those for the long rods are located a distance from the end with the inclined slot formed between'said lug In this way when one of the plunger rods is, forced outwardly, by means hereinafter l 7 described, the slot engaging the pin will cause the arm 22 to move longitudinally and thus partially rotate the ring 20 to cause partswill be returned to normal position.

provided The setting means for controlling this movement of the parts consists of a pair of wheels 29, one for the rudder. mechanism and one for the-elevator mechanism. Each of thesewheels is carried by a shaft 30 and is slowly rotated by means hereinafter described. The setting means are-located in the outer face of'the wheel .as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. As shown in these figures,

the wheel is provided with an outer concentric groove 31 and an inner concentric groove 32. A cam plug 33, connected with a stationary part of the mechanism, extends into the groove 31 and a like plug 34 ex tends into the groove 32. A plurality of elongated .recesses 35 are-formed in the outer face of the wheel, each recess being-2' provided with enlarged ends, the outer one ofwhich opens into the groove 31. Midway the ends each of the recesses arealso with side extensions 36. Ar shown, the recesses are radially arranged on the wheel. An inner circle of recesses 37 is also formed in the wheel with their of the wheel.

with the exception that the inner recesses are made longer by having an extension at their outer ends'ending in an enlargement 38.

The recesses 35 of the outer row are adapted to receive rocking levers 39 which are each pivoted intermediate their ends to a support 40. which is adapted to be inserted in the side extensions 36. The inner end of the lever 39 is slotted to receive a pin carried by a plunger 41 which is adapted to enter the enlarged inner end of the recess, The outer end of the lever is adapted to lie in the groove 31 so as to be engaged by the cam plug 33 in the rotation When this engagement takes placethe lever will be rockedso that the plunger will be forced outwardly and thus come in contact with one of the plunger rods 25 to force the same outward-1y and thus actuate the dog carried by the ring. The cam plug 33 is so arranged that as it contacts with the lever to rock the same the plunger 41 will be in alinement with the plunger rod 26. Rock levers 42 are adapted to be placed in the recesses 37 ofthe inner row and these levers 42 are similar to those before described with the exception that one of them is provided with an extension which extends into the end extension of the recess and engage a plunger 43 which 13 adapted to engage means for cutting off a driving motor of the plane. The inner end of this rocking lever is adapted to be engaged by the cam plug34 and its plunger 41 is adapted to engage the other plunger rod' 25. As shown. inFig. 1, the parts car ried by the outer row of recesses are adapted to engage the short plunger rod while those carried by the inner row will'jengage the long plunger rods- It will thus be seen that by placing the desired number of rock levers in the desired recesses, the plunger rods may be actuated to cause the rotation of the chains and the shafts 14 and 15 to move the rudder and elevators at the desired moments to cause the machine to change its direction of flight. If only one of the rock levers is usedthe rudder will. be placedat an angleso that the plane would describe a circle so that it is necessary to place a second lever in one of the recesses of the inner row to turn the rudder hack to its normal position. 'to keep the plane in its changed course. For in stance, if the ship is to travel a path of substantially Z-shape or a path with a right hand turn and a lefthand .turn in itthe rock levers are so placed in the. recesses in the wheel which controls the rudder that when the right hand turn is tobe made one of these levers will operate its plunger to connect the driving means with the rudder the chain reaching the sprocket.

' over the rack.

to throw the rudder over to cause this right hand turn to be made. Another lever is placed in a recess of the other circle so that it will causethe other plunger to connect the driving means with the rudder to bring said rudder back to normal position so that the ship will stop turning and travel on the second straight part of its course. At the proper time a third lever placed in the proper recess will again actuate this last mentioned} plunger to again connect the driving-chain, which returns therudder to normal position, with the rudder shaft so as to swing therudder in an opposite direction from which'it was first swung, to cause the ship to make a left hand turn. Then a fourth lever will operate the first mentioned plunger to bring the other chain into action to return the rudder to normal position so that the ship will travel along the third part of its course. The elevating is controlled in the same manner. It will of course be understood that the rudder will only move for a certain distance when it will; come to rest due to'the opening in is. called to the fact that one chain moves in one directionand the other in the opposite direction so that when one plunger is actuated the rudder, will be moved in one direction .ancl when the other plunger is actuated the rudder will be moved in the opposite direction. By placing the rock levers in theproper recesses in the controlling wheelthe ship can be caused to travel a predetermined path. p

The means for rotating the wheels 29 consists of a reciprocating rod 44 which is providedwith a pin 45 and which reciprocates in'a slotin' a sleeve 46. This pinengages a spirallygrooved part 47 of the shaft 4, this part being formed of a pair of grooves oppositely arranged and crossing each other as shown. In this way the pin will traverse onefgroove'so that the rod 44 will be moved in one direction and then as the pin strikes the junction ofone groove with the other it will be turned into the other groove and thus. the rod will be moved in an, opposite direction. This reciprocating movement is turned into a rotary movement by means of thedogs 48 connected to the reciprocating rod by Inea-nsof the arms 49 and the links 50 and engaging the annular rack 51 connected with the shaft 52. As will be seen from Fig. 5, in one movement of the rod one dog will engage the rack while the other dog slides over the rack, and in the reverse movement of the rod the other dog will engage the' rack and the second dog will slide Thus the shaft 52 will be rotated, but at a slower speed than the shaft 4. This shaft'52 is provided with aspiral part similar to the spiral part of the shaft 4 and a reciprocating rod 53 is connected Attention I with the shaft 52 by the pin 54 engaging said spiral part. This rod 53 is connected with another shaft 55 by the pawls and ratchets as before described, and any number of these elements may be used to reduce the speed to the desired point. The last rod 56 is connected with the wheels 29 by the pawls 57 and the ratchets 58. will be slowly rotated on the shafts 4.

I may alsooperate-bomb dro'pping means by this speed reduction mechanism, as shown in'F 1. In this case the shaft 59 is connected to the last element of the reducing mechanism by the pawl and ratchet mechanism 60 and the reciprocating rod 61, so that said shaft will be slowly revolved. The

bomb-carrier consists of a casing 62 held stationary by any suitable means and provided with an opening 63 in its lower part. Within this casing revolves the bomb-carrier 64 which is secured to the shaft 59 and this carrier is provided with a plurality of recesses '65 in its periphery to receive the bombs 66. Thus as the carrier is revolved and the recesses come inregister withthe 1 opening 63 in the casing the bombs will drop therethrough and thus be discharged.-

The levers in the outer rowwill turn the rudder in one direction while those in the inner'row will turn it in the opposite direction so that when the machine is to be turned, say at right angles, a lever is placed in the proper position to make this turn and another lever must be placed in one of the recesses in the other row to be acted upon shortlyafter the first lever, to return the rudder to itsnormal position to prevent the plane from describing a circle so that it will remain onits changed course. The same, of course, is true as to the elevators.

The rotation of the, shaft '4 may be so timed as to make thesame .number of revolutions as the propeller shaft.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9, I provide: a different arrangement for operating thedogs 48, In this figure the arms 50' Y Thus the wheels 29 is driven by means of a worm shaft 71 from anysuitable source of power.

As an exainpleof the operation of the reducing .mechanisrmsupposing that the parts are so arranged that for each forward and rearward movement of the reciprocating rod] 44 the annular rack 51 and the shaft 52 will be given Y a half revolution and that the grooves on the part 47 are eachprovided with 25 spirals, then for each one hundred revolutions of the gear-5 said'shaft 52 will be given 'one revolution. If this arrangement of parts was carried out throughout the mechanism the. shaft 55 would revolve once to each one hundred revolutions of shaft 52. and one revolution to eve ten thousand revolutions of the gear 5. The

next shaft would make one revolution to every one million revolutions of the gear 5 and the wheels 29 would make one revolution to every one hundred million revolutions of gear 5. It will of course be understood that this is merely given as an illustration as the parts may be so constructed and arranged as to give any desired reduc tion of movement.

The above example will also apply to the modification shown in Fig. 9 as by forming one hundred teeth on the wheel 69 when the shaft 71 makes one hundred revolutions, said wheel 69 will make one complete revolution.

It will also be understood that the mechanism may be used for operating other devices or apparatus'than an aeroplane. For instance. by using one of the wheels 29 and its attached parts the rudder of a ship may bemechanically actuated. In fact the steering mechanism of any movable body may be actuated by my invention by suitably con necting the same with the apparatus .to be steered.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make'changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Vhat I claim is I '1. The combination with-a steering mechanism of a movable body, of power driven means adapted to be connected with said mechanism but normally disconnected therefrom, said means including "wheels and chains, said chains having spaces at intervals for disconnecting them from the wheels, means for moving the chains to move them into engagement with the wheels again and adjustable setting means for controlling the actuation of the last mentioned means.

2. The combination with a rudder and elevators of an aeroplane, of power driven means, mechanical means for connecting the power driven means tosaid parts to move them from one position to another, such means including means for automatically disconnecting said mechanical means from .the power driven means after a certain amount of movement of the mechanical means, means for initially connecting said mechanical means with the power driven means, a movable member and adjustable and detachable setting means thereon for actuating the means for initially actuating the mechanical means.

3. The combination with the rudder and elevators of an aeroplane and their shafts,

of a power driven shaft, gears and chains connecting thesame with the first mentioned shaft, said chains having spaces at intervals for disconnecting the chains from' their wheels, means for moving the chains to move them into engagement again with their wheels and adjustable setting means for controlling the .actuation of the last mentioned means. I I

4c. The combination with'the rudder and elevators of an aeroplane and their shafts,

of a power driven shaft, stub shafts, gears connecting the same with. the power driven shaft, chain wheels carried by said"stub shafts, chain guiding wheels, some of which are located on the shafts of the rudder and elevators, chains passing over the same and engaging with the chain wheels on the stub shafts, said chains having spaces formed therein which are located at intervals and adapted to disengage the chainsfrom the chain wheels, plunger rods, means actuated chains passing over the same and engaging the chain wheels, said chains havlngfspaces therein located at intervals for disen aging the chains from the chain wheel s, p unger rods, means actuated by the samefor initially moving the chains to throw them into engagement again with'the chain wheels, r0- tatable members 7 having grooves" and recesses in their faces,'cam plugs en aging said grooves, rocking levers removab y engaging said recesses and having one end adapted to be engaged by the cam plugs, and plungers carried by the other end and adapted to engage the plunger rodswhen thev levers are actuated.

6. The combination with the rudder and elevators of an aeroplane and their shafts,

of a drive shaft, stub. shafts, gearing con necting the same with the drive shaft, chain wheels carried by the stub shafts, chain guiding wheels, some of which are located on the shafts of the rudder and elevators, chams passing over the same and engaging the chain wheel s, said chains having spaces therein'located at intervals for'disengaging the .chains from the'chain' wheels, lunger rods, means actuated by the same for initially moving the chainsto throw them into engagement again with the chain wheels,

rotatable members having grooves and recesses in their faces, cam plugs engaging said grooves, rocking levers removably ening the controlling means from the drive shaft, such means comprising a slide rod,

a pin carried thereby, a spirally-grooved part on the shaft consisting of oppositely arranged grooves, crossing each other, and engaging the pin, a second shaft having an annular rack, a pair of arms pivoted to the rod, dogs carried by said arms and engaging the rack and means for connecting said second shaft With the controllingmeans.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

. CHARLOTTE ARNESEN. 

